Blank-feeding device.



No. 629,44l.

Patented luly 25, |899. C. H. FOGG.

BLANK FEEDING DEVICE.

(Application filed Oct. 22. 1896.) (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

Tu: Ncnms PETERS co, PHoTo-uwmwnmomn. o, c.

Patented July 25, |899.

No. 629,44l.

c. H. Fuss.

BLANK FEEDING DEVICE.

(Application led Det. 22, 1896.)

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

m: nofws PETERS co. PHQYQLITNO., WASHINGTON. n. v.

No. 629,44I. Patented July 25, |899. C. H. FUGG.

BLANK FEEDING DEVICE.

(Application filed oct. 22, 1896.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

@faam ai f dwg I TN: Norms PETERS co. Hom-uws.. wnmm'uu. Dv c.

UNITED STATES .PATENT livr-ICE.

CHARLES H. FOGG, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES lV.BROOKS, PRINCIPAL TRUSTEE, AND JOHN BROOKS, ASSOCIATE TRUSTEE.

BLANK-FEEDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,441,- dated July25, 1899.

Application filed October 22, 1896. Serial No. 609,695. (No model.)

To all whom, it noa/y concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. FOGG, a citizen of the United St-ates,residing at I-lyde Park, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement inBlank-Feeding Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX-act specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

My invention relates to the improvement in blank-feeding deviceshereinafter described. It is represented as applied to thetop-liftfeeding mechanism of a heel-attaching machine.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view in vertical section and inelevation. of parts of a machine to which the invention is applied. Fig.2 is a View of the same parts, showing the cam as having made a portionof a revolution and the top-liftfeeding plate as arrested by a toplift.l Fig. 3 represents in plan, enlarged, the top-lift centering andreceiving devices and the top-lift-feeding plate, the parts being in theposition which they occupied. preparatory to the feeding of the top liftto the top-lift holder and receiver. The same figure also shows upon thedotted lines the top-lift holder and receiver as hav ing received a toplift and as having been transferred from the position represented byfull lines to the attaching position. Fig. 4 is a View in planrepresenting the relation of the top-lift-feeding plate to the top-liftreceiver and holder at the end of the feeding movement. Fig. 5 is an.enlarged view, in horizontal section, upon the dotted line 5 5 of Fig.l.

I have represented the invention as applied to a heel-attachingmachine,but desire it to be understood that I do not confine it to that use. Insuch machines it is desirable to automatically feed a portion of a heel,known as the top lift,7 from the under side of a pile or stack of liftsheld in ia box to a receiver which receives and holds centered the blank(and transfers it, if desired) during the operation of spanking it orupon attaching it to the remainder of the heel. The receiver andspanker-plate, to which it is attached, are

represented in Figs. 3 and 4, where A is the spanker-plate; BB', thereceiving-arms; b, the spring for closing them and holding them closed,and' C theback-stop, which for top lifts preferably has the V-shaped endc. These parts need not further be described.

D is the top-lift feeder. lIt has' the abutment d, preferably formed atthe end of a separate plate d', rigidly secured to the plate D. Theplate is adapted to be moved at any desired interval upon a slideway inthe bracket D', and it and its abutment are adapt ed to cooperatetogether in feeding a blank from the stack D2. Itis reci procated bymeans of the lever E, pivoted at e, the link F, the cam-groove g in thecrank-wheel G, and the lever H, pivoted at h and having the cam-pin 71,to enter the cam-groove and connected at its upper end h2 with the saidlink F.

I have spoken of the connection between the upper end'of the lever IIand the lever E as a link. It is not made, however, in one piece, but isconstructed so as to be extensible. This result is obtained by makingthe link in two parts ff', the ends of which overlap, and these partsare yieldingly connected with each other by means of a spring interposedbetween their ends. The two parts are connected in a manner to permitone to slide upon the other in one direction in opposition to the stressof the spring. I prefer that the parts be connected with each other andwith the spring in the following manner: The partf has at its end an eyef2, the shank of which extends laterally through a slot f3 in the partf', and this eye provides a support for one end of a rod f5, theopposite end of which is held in an ear extending upward from the end fand this rod carries the coiled spring f6, the ends of which areconfined between the ear f4 and the eye f2, the eye being free to moveon the rod f5. This spring is of sufficient tension to maintain theentire link of a uniform lengthv during its ordinary or normaloperation; but in case the blankfeeder meets with obstruction whichstops its feed the section f of the link may then draw upon the sectionf, compressing the spring f between the ear f4, which moves with thesection f', and the eye of the section f, which IOO .would not beunderstood as limiting myself does not move, so that all the movement ofthe operating cam or device is taken up by the spring, and injury to theblank-feeder and parts closely related thereto is prevented. It will beunderstood that this spring also acts at the end of the feeding movementof the feeding-plate to cause the abutment to straighten, square, orcenter the blank in the receiver-that is, upon moving the blank into thereceiver and into contact with the backstop it comes to a rest, whilethe section f of the link continues to move, thereby bringing springtension upon the abutment. The entire feeder then comes to rest with ayielding pressure upon it. The section f of the link may be united tothe section f by a pin f7 thereon, which projects laterally into theguidimg-slotfS in the link-section f.

It will be understood that the feeding-plate has a long movement andthat it is desirable that the extensible link be connected with itsoperating-lever E near its fulcrum en d or where its movement isrelatively slight, because by so doing less movement is required of thespring' in its take-up motion, and a better form of spring can thereforebe used. lVhile I have illustrated the extensible link as operated bythe cam g and the lever I-I, I

to these means of operating the feed-plate through the extensible link.

In use the blank is fed by the feeding-plate to the blank-receiver,whenthe abutment acts as a centering or-straightening device in connectionwith the remainder of the receiver or parts thereof. If, however, thereis any obstruction, such as a previously-fed blank, in the receiver or atipped blank in the stack, the feeding movement of the blank-feedingplate is automatically stopped Without injury to it or any of itsoperating parts, and upon removal of the obstruction the feeding may beresumed as before.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination of theblank-receiver, the blank-feeder having a rigid abutment which acts as acentering or straightening device in connection with the receiver, andImeans for exerting a yielding pressure upon 1 the abutment and feeder atthe end of their feed ing m ovement,substantially as described.

2. The combination of a receiver comprising the arms B, B and theback-stop C with the blank-feeder having the abutment d, the plate Acarrying the receiver and means for moving the blankholdin g plate andabutment convertible into a yielding force upon the contact of the blankwith the back of the receiver and the abutment with 4the blank,substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a machine for automatically feeding heel and similar blanks, thecombination of a blank-receiver adapted to receive and hold a blank fedto it with a blank-feeding device and means for moving the blank-feedingdevice to feed a blank to the receiver, which means is adapted to exerta yielding pressing force upon the blank followingthe endof the feedingmovement, whereby the blank is first fed and then centered as and forthe purposes described.

4. In a machine of the character specified, the combination of aninverted blank receiving, holding and feeding device, a blank-feedingplate havingashoulderor abutment upon it, and means for moving saidfeeding-plate and abutment beneath the blank receiver and holder, whichmeans are adapted to yield because of obstruction in the path of theblank or its feeding-plate, and at the end of the feeding movement, asand for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination in a machine of the character specified, of thecarrier A, means for holding a blank by its edges attached to saidcarrier, a blank-feeding plate D having a shoulder or abutment thereonand mounted in a guideway, a lever E connected with said plate tooperate the same, a cam g, a lever H, one end of which is operated bythe cam and a connection between.the said lever H and the lever Ecomprising the sectional link F, one part of which is adapted to bemovable in relation to the other, and the interposed resistancespringf,as and for t-he purposes set forth.

CHAS. II. FOGG.

Witnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, J. M. DOLAN.

